January 5, 2007, Newsletter Issue #1: The Best Way To Store Wine

Tip of the Week

Most people know the basics about storing wine before immediate use - white wine should be chilled, while red wine should be closer to room temperature (or chilled very briefly). However, if you plan to keep wine past tonight's dinner, it should be stored in a specific manner to ensure the flavor and aroma are at its best when you finally uncork that bottle of Merlot. Here are some wine storage tips from Italian Cooking and Living.com.

-Try to avoid storing wine on metal racks because the temperature fluctuates as a room gets warmer or colder. Store wine on wood, tile or cement racks.
-Ever wondered why wine is stored horizontally? It keeps the cork damp enough so it's malleable when you do open it.
-Don't store your wine in direct sunlight. This causes it to age prematurely. The sun's UV rays also can contribute to the flavor changing or can give it an unpleasant aroma.
-Although a new wine bottle may seem impermeable until opened, the cork is porous and odors from food or other things can infiltrate the bottle and change the wine's composition. Store it away from odors.
-Be sure to store your wines in a way that you don't have to move a lot of bottles around to reach one. Once you've decided on a location, lay the bottle down and try not to move it until it's ready to be opened.

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